The first photo of the young Afghan boy who stowed away inside the landing gear compartment of a Kam Air flight traveling from Kabul to New Delhi. The 13-year-old can be seen being dressed in a beige Pathani suit and black coat, standing nervously at the airport after being discovered by officials on September 21. The image captures the boy’s anxious expression.
How the boy survived the dangeours flight
The boy, originally from Kunduz, Afghanistan, managed to sneak into Kabul airport and hide inside the wheel well of the plane bound for Delhi. He mistakenly believed the flight was heading to Tehran, Iran, his intended destination. With him, he carried only a small red audio speaker, which authorities recovered from the landing gear. Despite the extreme risks including the danger of being crushed by the landing gear and exposure to freezing temperatures of up to -50 degrees Celsius the boy survived the 90-minute, 1,000 km journey unscathed. Officials noted that the compartment space was no larger than a car’s boot, making survival a miraculous feat.
Interrogation and immediate return to Kabul
Upon being found by airport authorities after landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport, the boy was questioned about his journey. He explained that curiosity had driven him to undertake the dangerous trip. However, recognizing the risks involved, the authorities sent him back to Kabul the same day on Kam Air’s return flight, RQ-4402.
Aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan explained that the boy likely found an enclosed, pressurized space in the wheel bay.
“The door of the wheel well closes after takeoff, and the temperature may have been better inside, closer to the passenger cabin conditions,” he said. This may have helped him survive the flight. Dr Ritin Mohindra, a medical expert, added that at higher altitudes, oxygen levels drop and temperatures can reach -60°C, causing unconsciousness and even death. It’s a miracle the boy made it through. Stowing away in the wheel well is an extremely dangerous act, and the survival rate for such stowaways is very low. Only 1 in 5 people who attempt this survive, due to the severe cold, lack of oxygen, and the risk of falling or being crushed by the landing gear.
Second stowaway incident in India
This is the second known case of a stowaway at an Indian airport. The first incident occurred in 1996 when two brothers stowed away on a British Airways flight from Delhi to London. One of them survived, but the other tragically died during the flight.
